How Much Conservative Idiocy Can Happen in Two Weeks?

I go on vacation for a week and a half, and while I was gone the conservatives made major advances in their multi-front war on truth, common sense, and the American Way.

Apparently the Republicans did not realize that when they blocked an extension of unemployment benefits, they also blocked an extension of flood insurance — never mind that flooding in Rhode Island was the worst it’s been in 100 years, with some rivers several feet above all-time records. Boston saw its wettest March since record keeping began in 1872, while bridges and highways have washed out from Maine to Connecticut and sewage systems have been overwhelmed to the point that families were asked to stop flushing toilets. National Guard troops have been mobilized to aid residents in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. But then, if the insurance had been extended, that would have meant that the insurance companies would actually have had to pay for the damage suffered by those covered. Come to think of it, didn't we just have a national debate on whether people should at least have the opportunity to be covered by insurance?

RNC Chairman Michael Steele wasn't paying attention, I guess. It looks like he was more occupied with upholding the reputation of the party of "family values" by watching simulated lesbian sex in that bondage-themed Hollywood strip club. The right-leaning blog Red County reported that the outing was part of an RNC push to recruit local "Eagles," the party's honorary tag for young, big-ticket donors. But wait! That's not all! Looks like the RNC has some very interesting definitions for "office supplies."

Not to be outdone, Ron Paul decided to spread the alarm that passage of the health care reform bill was going to force the IRS to recruit and train 16,500 new agents to track down those deadbeats who refuse to buy health insurance (never mind that anyone with an income of $88,200 will receive sufficient federal subsidies to afford said insurance). Factcheck.org amply refutes that particular claim.

Big business got into the act, too. Boeing, AT&T, AK Steel, 3M, Caterpillar, Deere, Prudential, and Valero Energy have all said that passage of the health care reform bill is forcing them to take significant charge-offs on their balance sheet… thereby giving the National Republican Congressional Committee an opportunity to claim that HCR is "a job-killer." It seems, though, that they're reluctant to admit what's really causing those corporations fiscal pain. Under the previous system, major corporations were subsidized by the government to provide prescription drug coverage to their retired employees. At the same time, corporations could claim on their tax returns that it was they — not the taxpayers — who paid for the drug coverage, and could write the expense off as a tax deduction. For anyone who might wonder where that came from, the corporate welfare in question began with passage of the Bush administration's prescription drug bill in 2003. Also of note is the origin of the amount of money these corporations claimed they were going to lose — the size of the accounting reductions being announced is so large, analysts said, because they project out the benefit from the current subsidy for 30 years, rising with health care's current inflation rate, and then crams it all back into a one-quarter loss. Voodoo economics, indeed.

The health insurance companies chimed in by claiming that the language of the health care reform bill did not require them to cover children with pre-existing conditions. Yeah, playing politics by denying care to children with pre-existing conditions. That's a sure-fire way to stand up to the creeping socialism of Obamacare, isn't it?

It's very strange how many in the Tea Party depend on government programs like Medicare and Social Security or government jobs, but the Tea Party — or many of the several organizations claiming to be THE Tea Party (including Dick Armey's "FreedomWorks") — are planning a nationwide protest on April 19. Now most people with experience in law enforcement don't like coincidences, so one must ask why it is the Tea Parties are holding this rally not on 'tax day' – April 15 – but four days later on the 19th. You see, April 19 was a day of significance to another famous anti-government figure: Timothy McVeigh. That's the day he blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City, killing over 100 innocent men, women, and children as he did so. But why did McVeigh choose April 19 as the day of this horrific act? April 19, it turns out, is of special significance to neo-Nazis. I'm not sure why that's so – since Hitler's birthday came on April 20 – but a quick Googling of "neo-Nazi April 19th" will show that they do tend to hold that particular day as one of some importance to them. In fact, that same search will show the reader that the neo-Nazis are planning several protests this coming April 19. Now the militias who claim no connection to neo-Nazism hold a different significance — they say it's a "day of concern," and point back to events beginning with the battles of Lexington and Concord way back in 1775, and, more recently, the Branch Davidian cult fiasco in Waco back during the Clinton years. Furthermore, the various Tea Party organizations have put out the word to not allow neo-Nazis at their protests. But still – all this begs the question: why did the anti-government Tea Party choose April 19? It was just a coincidence, I'm sure. Of course, just a mere coincidence. One wonders what Timothy McVeigh would have thought about their choice.

The Pope's had quite a time as well. Perhaps we shouldn't bring up religion here, but when I was Googling the accusations against him, I happened to find out that in 2004, George W. Bush had personally asked the Vatican for help, saying, "not all the American bishops are with me." I'm sure that some people can remember how in the closing months of the 2004 campaign, some bishops began saying they would not allow John Kerry communion because of his views on abortion. But I did not know that the new Pope had by some been called "Bush's pope" since the former Cardinal Ratzinger had had certain ties with George Bush's brother Neil. It seems that in 1999, the not-particularly-religious Neil Bush co-founded a religious organization with the soon-to-be pope in Switzerland. Later, of course, in 2002 Bush signed a consulting contract that paid $2 million dollars in stock over five years to work for Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., a firm backed by Jiang Mianheng, the son of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, plus $10,000 for every board meeting he attended. But back to the Pope. I normally won't refer anyone to forums, but something is truly rotten in the state of Denmark if even a quarter of what is said in the first two entries on this page are true.

Now Sean Hannity seems to have a situation of his own. Conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel exposed the scam of Hannity's "Freedom Concerts." She notes that according to its 2006 tax returns, Freedom Alliance reported revenue of $10,822,785, but only $397,900 – or a beyond-measly 3.68% – of that was given to the children of fallen troops as scholarships or as aid to severely injured soldiers. She further states that – also according to those tax returns – Hannity's "non-profit organization" claimed over three million dollars in expenses or about eight dollars in expenses for every dollar directly spent for the injured soldiers and the children of the fallen soldiers.

Now I find it really interesting that when I Google Fox News with this story, I find no coverage whatsoever! Nada! Nil! None! Can one imagine the coverage Fox would give if it had been, say, liberal pundit Rachel Maddow who had run the same scam? And if Rachel had called a Tea Party crowd "Tim McVeigh wannabes" (as Hannity did), would they have cheered her as Hannity's Tea Party crowd did when he called them by the name of the anti-government Tim McVeigh? Again, that begs the question… why did the Tea Party choose April 19 as their day to protest?

And ACORN – now that it is no longer a functioning entity – has been vindicated in the 'pimp video' scandal. Gov. Schwarzenegger directed the state attorney general to investigate ACORN, and while ACORN did do some things wrong, it is clear that the 'pimp videos' were effectively a lie. Evidence obtained by the attorney general show that in three videotapes made at ACORN locations in California. One ACORN worker in San Diego called the cops. Another ACORN worker in San Bernardino caught on to the scheme and played along with it, claiming among other things that she had murdered her abusive husband. Her two former husbands are alive and well, the attorney general's report noted. At the beginning and end of the Internet videos, O'Keefe was dressed as a 1970s Superfly pimp, but in his actual taped sessions with ACORN workers, he was dressed in a shirt and tie, presented himself as a law student, and said he planned to use the prostitution proceeds to run for Congress. He never claimed he was a pimp.

But we can't expect the Republicans to do a mea culpa for their media lynching of ACORN — after all, the lies got rid of ACORN. The end justifies the means, right? And we all know that's the way they justified torture.

It's really rather exasperating trying to keep track of all the sheer idiocy that's infecting not only the Republican party but also the conservative core. It's been noted many times how this continual game of "Who's More Conservative" is only resulting in a downward spiral to marginalization for the Republicans (and the nascent Tea Party). Perhaps the most troubling indicator of this is the fact that any Republican or conservative who dares question party dogma or point out the approaching demographic train wreck immediately and summarily has his name stricken from the Rolls of the Faithful. At least it's not as bad as what happens to those who questioned the Soviets or the ChiComs, the North Koreans or the followers of Sharia.

“It looks like [Steele] was more occupied with upholding the reputation of the party of “family values” by watching simulated lesbian sex in that bondage-themed Hollywood strip club.”

Steele wasn’t in the club. Getting facts like that wrong doesn’t encourage me to keep reading the piece

http://thefriendinator.wordpress.com The Friendinator

Gimme a break. Do you really think they “…did not realize…” What they were doing?

justsayin

Interesting piece. You didn’t mention Sarah Palin – LL Cool J fiasco…

…yeah, you were talking about serious politics, weren’t you?? 😉

Glenn Contrarian

El B –

Good catch – thank you!

http://www.republicofdave.com Dave Nalle

Wow, Glenn. You take yellow journalism to a new level.

And in your examination of the April 19th theory did you bother to look any farther than your nose? Most groups are not protesting on the 19th. The libertarian groups are sticking with the traditional April 15th and many others are going with Saturday the 17th because tea party activists are mostly young and have jobs.

As for that 19th date, the reason it’s significant, and the reason McVeigh chose it for his attack is that it’s the day of the government massacre at Mt. Carmel and the day David Koresh died. Even for many who are not inclined to that crazy religious perspective, it’s a significant example of out of control government power being abused at the cost of the lives of citizens. This all has nothing to do with neo-nazis.

But probably most significant to people who see themselves as patriots, April 19th is the day of the “shot heard round the world” – the battles of Lexington and Concord where the first shots of the Revolutionary war were fired. I suppose the founding fathers were neo-nazis too.

So good job spreading the lies. Sorry to have to interject with some obvious truth you ignored.

Dave

http://www.indyboomer46.blogspot.com Baritone

He spread no lies Davey. The only factoid he got wrong was that regarding Steele, which he acknowledged.

Glen DID mention Lexington & Concord BTW.

Jerry Brown revealed that all of the ACORN tapes from California were edited into absolute lies.

There are in fact 2 groups who are supposedly going to march on Washington on or about the 19th – or at least as close as they can get – fully armed. That’ll be a truly great spectacle.

The ONLY way in which the Reps and cons are gaining political traction is dumbing down the rhetoric and simply repeating lies ad nauseam.

Why Dave, didn’t ANY of the Senate Reps submit ammendments to the health care bill to do away with the death panels? Virtually to a man and woman they all claimed vociferously for months that that was the most odious aspect of “Obamacare.” Yet, when the rubber met the road, when they had a chance to make it an issue on the Senate floor, not a fucking word. Why is that Dave?

You know why and so do most people with a brain. It was ALL a fucking scam.

You go on and on about Dem/Liberal/Progressive/Leftist lies. Yet there’s barely a Rep/Conservative/Libertarian/Rightist drawing breath who can manage to utter a word without the spittle of lies streaming down their chins.

http://www.republicofdave.com Dave Nalle

Why Dave, didn’t ANY of the Senate Reps submit ammendments to the health care bill to do away with the death panels? Virtually to a man and woman they all claimed vociferously for months that that was the most odious aspect of “Obamacare.” Yet, when the rubber met the road, when they had a chance to make it an issue on the Senate floor, not a fucking word. Why is that Dave?

Because just getting that one change at the cost of being tarred with the entire rest of the bill would have ended their careers.

Plus the entire “death panel” issue was bogus as you well know. The real problem with the bill is the system of mandates, but that’s harder to explain.

I notice you said NOTHING about the revelations about the ACORN tapes…the very tapes that (IIRC) YOU blogged about as proof of just how terrible ACORN was. I can just imagine what you’d be saying if the left used falsified videotapes to take down a major right-wing organization…but I won’t hold my breath waiting for you to vent righteous anger against such crimes by those on your side.

I also notice you said nothing about much of the rest of the article except for the section about the Tea Party. So if what I’m doing is ‘yellow journalism’, then please point out where I’m spreading lies.

Yeah, Dave – if all I’m doing is ‘yellow journalism’, then show me how these are lies!

And when it comes to the bit on the Tea Party, did you notice that I pointed out that the militias do not hold with the neo-Nazis? Did you notice that I pointed out that the Tea Party specifically said that they would NOT allow neo-Nazis at their rallies? Maybe you missed that part. Now McVeigh had no direct connection with the neo-Nazis that I know of, but he certainly did share many of their beliefs (does Turner Diaries ring a bell?). Now, then, Dave – why did the Tea Party crowd clap and cheer when Hannity said, “…these in the Tea Party, these people, these Tim McVeigh wannabes….”

Watch the video, Dave, and tell me WHY the right-wing Tea Party crowd listening to him clap and cheer when he called them “Tim McVeigh wannabes”? The context was clear – to Hannity and to the crowd, a “Tim McVeigh wannabe” was NOT an insult.

These are tough questions, Dave. I think there’s only one question that I find particularly challenging to address – it was by Clavos (which reminds me – honor demands that I’ve got to let him know about it). Can you address the above two-week spree (not counting “Bush’s pope”) by the GOP and the conservatives? Or are you going to continue to call it lies and ‘yellow journalism’ without taking the time to refute it (which IMO would be ‘yellow denial’)?

Glenn Contrarian

The real problem with the bill is the system of mandates, but that’s harder to explain.

So why was the ‘individual mandate’ okay to the Republicans when they proposed it in the mid-90’s as an alternative to ‘Hillarycare’?

Glenn Contrarian

Baritone –

Thx for the backup –

Arch Conservative

Blah blah blah….

Let’s talk in November Glenn.

http://www.indyboomer46.blogspot.com Baritone

The only issue that Reps and the right has to really hang its hat on regarding health care reform is the mandates. Nalle claims that it will drive everyone into bankruptcy, which is a bunch of hooey. There will be subsidies and tax credits that will go a long way toward alleviating the $ burden on small business and low income people.

All the naysayers ignore the greater good that having everyone – or nearly everyone – insured. Under the present system, a huge burden is placed on hospital emergency rooms across the country because that’s the only place many people can go and be assured of receiving at least some kind of care.

All this blather about the supposed loss of freedom and liberty, about socialism is bunk. Nalle has not only bought into the hysteria hook, line and sinker, he is now one of the main voices regurtitating it to anyone who will listen.

As to what is likely to happen in November, I doubt that it will not be good for Dems, but neither will it likely be the blood bath over which the Reps and the rightys are licking their chops in anticipation.

But hey, I want all of you to keep on anticipatin’. I look forward to the look of dismay that will be unmistakable come November 3rd.

Glenn Contrarian

Arch –

I really have no doubt we’ll lose some seats in November, the main reason why being that conservatives are more likely to vote than are liberals. If the two groups voted at the same rate, you’d have a much more liberal Congress.

But I notice that – like Dave – you deign to not respond at all to the vast majority of the facts presented in the article. I guess that’s because facts are hard to argue with.

http://www.indyboomer46.blogspot.com Baritone

We are witness to the “dumbing down” of the Republican party. They themselves opened the flood gates when they cajoled the religious right into the fold as the only means to get their Georgie boy elected. Now, they are paying the price. They may pick up some congressional seats come November, but I seriously doubt that they’ll sweep the Dems out of their majority.

Come 2012, Obama will have sufficiently righted (no pun intended) the ship and will win a 2nd term easily.

B

http://www.republicofdave.com Dave Nalle

I notice you said NOTHING about the revelations about the ACORN tapes…the very tapes that (IIRC) YOU blogged about as proof of just how terrible ACORN was. I can just imagine what you’d be saying if the left used falsified videotapes to take down a major right-wing organization…but I won’t hold my breath waiting for you to vent righteous anger against such crimes by those on your side.

They’re not falsified video tapes, Glenn. They are just not criminally prosecutable. Enormous difference. The things portrayed on the tapes did happen, they just aren’t considered serious enough to take to court. And I could have told you that before all of the recent revisionism on the tapes. They still present a valid picture of some of the corruption and incompetence in ACORN, and it’s not like the California tapes were the only ones.

I also notice you said nothing about much of the rest of the article except for the section about the Tea Party. So if what I’m doing is ‘yellow journalism’, then please point out where I’m spreading lies.

Most of the stuff you bring up is trivial and not worth disputing. It’s your version of the ACORN tapes, greeted with amusement and a shrug.

So why was the ‘individual mandate’ okay to the Republicans when they proposed it in the mid-90’s as an alternative to ‘Hillarycare’?

Why do you think that it was, Glenn? If the people were as aware of this issue then as they are now they would have been no more accepting of it from Republicans than they are from Democrats.
You’ll never admit it, but the whole protest over health care is about getting REAL reform instead of a corrupt payoff to ACORN and the SEIU and favored insurance companies.

Dave

http://drdreadful.blogspot.com Dr Dreadful

Dave,

How is this article any different from the hit pieces on Democrats you churn out at regular intervals?

You’re like a mouse complaining that Glenn stole your cheese.

zingzing

dave, the depths of your denial are incredible.

“They still present a valid picture of some of the corruption and incompetence in ACORN.”

not by a long shot. that’s like saying “‘godzilla’ presents a valid picture of the destructive powers of reptiles.”

zingzing

“Most of the stuff you [glenn] bring up is trivial and not worth disputing.”

so, he’s right? start adding up trivial things, however, like your pundits thieving, your senators lying and shitting on people, etc, etc, and they start to “present a valid picture of the corruption and incompetence in the GOP.”

“It’s your version of the ACORN tapes, greeted with amusement and a shrug.”

you’re not going to like it when we use manipulated videos to take apart something that you think does a lot of good in the community. but revenge is a way of life in politics. code of the mall.

Glenn Contrarian

Dave –

You’ve got a VERY interesting definition of “not falsified”.

The things portrayed on the tapes did happen, they just aren’t considered serious enough to take to court.

(apologies to all, but the following hypothetical situations are crude…but perhaps they’ll get through to Dave)

So…when O’Keefe did a VOICEOVER in the Brooklyn ACORN video to replace what he actually said with what Fox News so gleefully played on-air, that’s not falsification? Gee whiz, Dave – that means I could go in to a Texas Republican Liberty Caucus office, tape a video of a pleasant and professional interview of how you welcome good voters to your organization, and then later I could replace it with a voiceover with me telling you that I’m from NAMBLA and I want the GOP to support the legalization of pedophilia…and then I could release that video to the public.

But according to you, that would NOT be falsification, and would NOT be prosecutable.

And when O’Keefe conducted the meetings in California in a suit and tie and later cut out those segments with him in a suit and tie and spliced in segments with him dressed as a pimp, that’s NOT falsification and NOT prosecutable?

So I come in wearing a suit and tie and videotape an interview with you and you pleasantly tell me how much you’re looking forward to me joining the Tea Party…and I later cut out the segments with me in the suit and tie and splice in segments of me being naked and doing things one should not do in public. Then when I release the interview to MSM and the crap hits the high-velocity fan, according to you the tape was NOT falsified and is NOT prosecutable.

Like I said, you’ve got a VERY interesting definition of ‘not falsified’.

Now to give the devil his due, there IS a situation in which the above would not be prosecutable – if and ONLY if they were made in the interest of satire, were released with satirical intent, and if the viewer could reasonably be expected to understand that it was satire.

But O’Keefe did not do so. What he and his cohorts did was release and promote them AS FACTUAL AND TRUE interviews in their entirety…and O’Keefe et al did NOT claim otherwise as the videotapes played all over MSM and in the halls of Congress. THAT, Dave, is why they ARE falsified and why they ARE prosecutable.

I’m really, truly looking forward to your reply proving otherwise.

http://drdreadful.blogspot.com Dr Dreadful

Glenn, I think you’re pressing the point a bit too far. What O’Keefe did was certainly malicious, and his videos are certainly falsified. But prosecutable? I’m not sure – especially your counter-hypotheses. Supporting the legalization of pedophilia and naked dancing are not, last time I checked, felonies.

If it could be shown that O’Keefe was inciting his victims to commit crimes, then yes, nail the little fucker to the wall. But I don’t think anyone’s been able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of a prosecutor that he didn’t believe his subjects were already committing crimes, and wasn’t simply trying to catch them at it.

Glenn Contrarian

Dave –

Most of the stuff you bring up is trivial and not worth disputing

What’s really amazing is that somewhere inside that head of yours, you’re thinking that if you just avoid answering for the above issues (any one of which would be enough for you to write a scathing article if it applied to the liberal side), then they become non-issues and meaningless in the big political picture.

Sadly, thanks to the short memories of most American voters, you’re right.

But at the same time, you’re sacrificing your reputation to our fellow BC writers by ignoring those problems and wishing them away.

If you couldn’t tell already, I try to hold myself – and those I support – to a certain level of integrity. They (and I) will screw up sometimes, but it’s all a matter of degree. If those I support screw up sometimes but try to make amends and not make the same mistake in the future, then I can still support them. However, when they screw up again and again and again – as the Republicans and Tea Party and conservative Right willfully and often maliciously has (as shown above) – then to continue to support them would not only be disingenuous, but dishonorable…and I cannot and will not abide such dishonor.

Maybe you’ll laugh at my naivete for actually expecting honor from politicians…but I also remember that Republican politicians have for the past 40 years been indicted and convicted significantly more than have the Democratic politicians, even when the Republican party was in the minority.

One party believes that the end justifies the means – even when the means requires breaking the law…as in the ACORN tapes.

The other party believes that the same ends can almost always be met without resorting to illegal and unconstitutional activity.

We know which side you’re on. I know which side I’m on.

Glenn Contrarian

Doc –

Point taken – however, I believe they could be prosecuted for slander and/or libel, whichever one applies to video. If they were made for satirical purposes, they wouldn’t be prosecutable. But to release them as factual news with obvious malice aforethought…that MUST cross the boundary of legal conduct.

http://handyfilm.blogspot.com handyguy

As Tom Coburn pointed out to disbelieving teabagger know-nothings yesterday, no one is going to jail because of the individual mandate in the health bill. Here is the relevant language, indicating that little or no enforcement is likely:

WAIVER OF CRIMINAL PENALTIES. –
In the case of any failure by a taxpayer to timely pay any penalty imposed by this section, such taxpayer shall not be subject to any criminal prosecution or penalty with respect to such failure.

Now, someone tell me I’m wrong.

cannonshop

#20 Glenn, guide me here, what the fuck difference does it make if he made the videos dressed in a suit, or in a flannel workshirt, or leather bondage outfit, or sky-clad? (It’s actually SCARIER if he got those responses dressed in a normal business-suit, because that’s much more likely attire than a seventies “Pimp” outfit-which could be taken as a joke that the ACORN volunteer was playign along with…a suit indicates seriousness. given the nature of the questions, that’s a much more disturbing concept than dressing like Huggy-bear.)

http://drdreadful.blogspot.com Dr Dreadful

OK, Glenn, but technically you don’t prosecute someone for libel or slander – you sue them.

http://www.maskedmoviesnobs.com El Bicho

How hysterical that recently Dave wrote “Is David Kirkpatrick really this careless or is he simply lying to you out of political partisanship?” when that same question can frequently be asked of him.

“They’re not falsified video tapes, Glenn…The things portrayed on the tapes did happen”

Actually, they are falsified and events did not the happen the way they are portrayed. Rather pathetic that the truth only matters when it benefits your side and harms your opponents.

I don’t know what laws O’Keefe broke that would get prosecutors involved, but I would imagine he can be sued for the damages to the organization and its employees. Hope they do it.

John Wilson

The ACORN tapes are so blatantly faked with audio cross-editing, that if you were a multimedia student and submitted them for a class project you would get an “F”.

http://handyfilm.blogspot.com handyguy

Rachel Maddow did a pretty enlightening piece on the tapes last night, showing Fox News clips from last fall, and then the unedited material Jerry Brown just released.

It would be one thing if the editing just emphasized unsavory behavior. But instead the edited tapes are a deliberate deception, showing that the Acorn employees were either trying to encourage the “prostitute” that she could find an apartment if she kept looking, or gathering enough info to call the police after O’Keefe & pal left.

The San Diego police were alerted by Acorn to a potential plot to smuggle underage girls into the US.

http://www.republicofdave.com Dave Nalle

No one has asserted that the statements by ACORN staff were dubbed or edited to change their actual meaning, just that they were edited to make the responses seem more blatant and deliberate. And again, these assertions apply to the California tapes, what about all the others?

Dave

Glenn Contrarian

Dave –

You really should try doing some research – the dubbing of the tapes (as I described in the earlier comment) was done in Brooklyn. The splicing of the tapes was done in California.

In both cases, O’Keefe made a deliberate attempt to deceive the viewers of the tapes (including YOU) into believing that what you saw on the videos – the dubbed and the spliced videos – were an accurate representation of reality…

…but the reality was NOT what you saw. You, too, were fooled, deceived…just as O’Keefe intended for all the viewers.

Dave, it’s a real pity that you’re going to such lengths to defend such obvious and malicious deception. I can just imagine what your comments would be if this deception had been by perpetrated by a liberal on a well-known conservative group.

http://www.maskedmoviesnobs.com El Bicho

“No one has asserted that the statements by ACORN staff were dubbed or edited to change their actual meaning”

Wrong again. The guy in SD who was alleged to have been helping sneak girls across the border called the police with the info he obtained after the pair left, so yes, that does change their actual meaning. Stop lying!

http://www.maskedmoviesnobs.com El Bicho

And, Glenn, O’Keefe was granted immunity in exchange for the unedited tapes to answer one of your questions because it may have violated some privacy laws.

Glenn Contrarian

El B –

Looks like you’re trying to be the honest broker between Dave and myself – sorta like Obama between the Arabs and Israelis. Question is, who’s the Arab and who’s the Israeli?

http://drdreadful.blogspot.com Dr Dreadful

Well, Dave was born in Lebanon, so…

John Wilson

Dave must be pathetically stupid to be deceived by those blatantly phony tapes.

Glenn Contrarian

John –

I’ll call Dave a lot of things, but ‘stupid’ isn’t one of them – he’s anything but. If he was stupid, I’d have given up on him a long time ago.

http://www.republicofdave.com Dave Nalle

Wrong again. The guy in SD who was alleged to have been helping sneak girls across the border called the police with the info he obtained after the pair left, so yes, that does change their actual meaning. Stop lying!

You throw accusations of lying around pretty freely, EB. But I never said he didn’t report them. Please point out where I made that claim. Maybe you should stop lying about what I said here.

Perhaps Glenn should provide us with a link to the unedited versions of the tapse so we can judge for ourselves?

And for the record, redubbing the questions in interviews is a standard practice when the microphones are focused on the interviewee, so let’s see some evidence that the content of the questions was changed substantially.

I’d love to see the unedited videos. But based on what I have seen, there’s just too much clearly questionable activity going on for prolonged segments without any visible edits for there to be much deception going on – but I’m referring primarily to the first few videos. The later ones from California do seem more heavily edited.

I don’t know what laws O’Keefe broke that would get prosecutors involved, but I would imagine he can be sued for the damages to the organization and its employees. Hope they do it.

No prosecutions against O’Keefe are at issue here. The prosecutions being considered in California were of ACORN employees. They decided not to charge them because the tapes did not show clear criminal activity. Charges against O’Keefe in Maryland were also dropped, I believe.

Read them. It’s quite clear that the edits are because of the limitations of the YouTube format and for dramatic effect, not to alter the content of the discussions involved. I’m referring primarily right now to the Baltimore and DC examples. I’m still reading through the rest.

Dave

http://handyfilm.blogspot.com handyguy

The reason the California tapes were released is that the state attorney general did an investigation. Otherwise, we might still believe O’Keefe’s lies.

O’Keefe edited the tapes so that one Acorn employee seemed to be willing to help smuggle underage girls into the US for prostitution. That employee called the police.

The other Acorn employee seems in the edited tapes to be encouraging the “pimp” and his “prostitute” to follow their dream and open a new line of prostitution business in town. What she was actually doing was encouraging the woman, specifically, to keep looking for housing.

Why Dave feels a need to try to justify this frat-boy nonsense is beyond me.

Acorn was a big organization with a lot of local offices and certainly some questionable participants and activities — few or none of which were the subjects of O’Keefe’s smear jobs.

Acorn also had a long history of doing a lot of good work to help poor folks with financial issues and voter registration. The right successfully slandered them, and they just won’t let it go.

http://handyfilm.blogspot.com handyguy

Glenn, you missed one of the big bits of idiocy.

The new Virginia governor, the fanatical Christian reactionary of whom the GOP is so proud [along with his Neanderthal, gay-baiting attorney general], declared April to be Confederate History Month in Virginia…bad enough in itself, but, oops, he also neglected even to mention slavery in his description of why the Civil War is important.

Public outcry forced him to apologize for the slavery omission today. What a maroon, as Bugs Bunny used to say.

[This comes after his pointed declaration that gays are no longer to be included in an anti-discrimination order signed by his Dem predecessor, the vastly superior Tim Kaine.]

And then there were Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin today in Minnesota. But don’t get me started. [As Ron Reagan said tonight, these two glamour gals of the dumb-dumb faction on the right “are both a few McNuggets shy of a Happy Meal.”

http://www.indyboomer46.blogspot.com Baritone

Bachmann/Palin in 2012! Woohoo. Dumb and Dumber!

http://www.maskedmoviesnobs.com El Bicho

“You throw accusations of lying around pretty freely, EB.”

No, I don’t. Yet another falsehood on your part.

“But I never said he didn’t report them. Please point out where I made that claim. Maybe you should stop lying about what I said here.”

Nice bait and switch, but that’s not the claim you are lying about. Look back at #30 where you wrote “No one has asserted that the statements by ACORN staff were dubbed or edited to change their actual meaning”.

O’Keefe claims the guy in SD, Juan Carlos, was gathering info to help him smuggle underage girls and that’s the way Hannity trumpeted it on FOX News. That’s not what he was doing, hence changing the “actual meaning” of his actions. You don’t know what you are talking about and for whatever reason don’t bother to educate yourself on the subject, but keep fighting for your cause and don’t bother with pesky facts.

“No prosecutions against O’Keefe are at issue here.”

Right, that’s why he needed immunity before turning over the unedited tapes.

Two more falsehoods from you: your link is to NYC not Baltimore and it is heavily edited as opposed to your laughable characterization that it’s “relatively unedited”. The video stopped at 6:25, so I didn’t get to see the whole thing. What are the claims against this particular office? I hear O’Keefe and his friend talking about illegal activity and the woman agreeing with their suggestions.

I went to the Big Government link and the San Diego videos are introduced with “If you’re looking for trendy boutique hotels, an exploding culinary scene, or visiting the local ACORN to get your underage prostitutes smuggled across the Mexican border, you’re in the right place.”

Commentors on that site point out the truth about Juan Carlos and neither O’Keefe nor the site offer any corrections, revealing what their true motivation is.

Considering O’Keefe’s has repeatedly proven to be a charlatan, I would need to see unedited portions before I trust any of his work. That you don’t speaks volumes.

http://www.republicofdave.com Dave Nalle

Nice bait and switch, but that’s not the claim you are lying about. Look back at #30 where you wrote “No one has asserted that the statements by ACORN staff were dubbed or edited to change their actual meaning”.

I can’t be responsible for your comments not being clear about what previous posts you’re referring to. It’s not my bait and switch when you created the confusion.

O’Keefe claims the guy in SD, Juan Carlos, was gathering info to help him smuggle underage girls and that’s the way Hannity trumpeted it on FOX News. That’s not what he was doing, hence changing the “actual meaning” of his actions. You don’t know what you are talking about and for whatever reason don’t bother to educate yourself on the subject, but keep fighting for your cause and don’t bother with pesky facts.

This is why I have avoided discussing the SD video, because I haven’t seen it and I haven’t seen the Hannity coverage of it and I’m not informed enough on it to draw any meaningful conclusions. Surely even you noticed that I have been specifically not discussing that video.

“No prosecutions against O’Keefe are at issue here.”

Right, that’s why he needed immunity before turning over the unedited tapes.

Given the witch hunt against him I absolutely understand why he would want immunity.

Two more falsehoods from you: your link is to NYC not Baltimore

My mistake. But you know, a mistake isn’t a lie. You should learn the difference. It would make you seem less biased.

and it is heavily edited as opposed to your laughable characterization that it’s “relatively unedited”. The video stopped at 6:25, so I didn’t get to see the whole thing.

That’s why I say “relatively” not “completely” unedited. It’s the least edited tape I’ve been able to find. Provide me with a link to a better tape.

What are the claims against this particular office? I hear O’Keefe and his friend talking about illegal activity and the woman agreeing with their suggestions.

Then you didn’t pay very close attention. I believe the claims here have to do with the advice provided by the ACORN staffers on money laundering.

I went to the Big Government link and the San Diego videos are introduced with “If you’re looking for trendy boutique hotels, an exploding culinary scene, or visiting the local ACORN to get your underage prostitutes smuggled across the Mexican border, you’re in the right place.”

What do you expect? This is marketing of propaganda. Part of the whole purpose it to put it in a more colorful context. That doesn’t actually alter the content.

Considering O’Keefe’s has repeatedly proven to be a charlatan, I would need to see unedited portions before I trust any of his work. That you don’t speaks volumes.

EB, I believe I asked for links to unedited video some comments ago. I agree that having access to them would be very informative.

Dave

zingzing

dave: “I can’t be responsible for your comments not being clear about what previous posts you’re referring to. It’s not my bait and switch when you created the confusion.”

come on, dave… that’s pretty weak. it was obvious he was referring to your continuous aversions.

“Given the witch hunt against him I absolutely understand why he would want immunity.”

also given his guilt… what would he have to fear if he had told the truth? but it’s pretty obvious now that the guy just did a hitjob on an organization that has helped a lot of people. yay. conservatives win what?

“But you know, a mistake isn’t a lie.”

you haven’t been earning that lately. too manipulative. sorry for distrust.

“What do you expect? This is marketing of propaganda. Part of the whole purpose it to put it in a more colorful context. That doesn’t actually alter the content.”

propaganda techniques don’t alter the content? are you really reading this? did you write that? propaganda invariably twists the truth into whatever the propagandist wants it to be. it doesn’t matter if it’s an outright lie.

you’ve been manipulated and made a fool of by this guy. stop walking around with your pants around your ankles.

Glenn Contrarian

Dave –

My mistake. But you know, a mistake isn’t a lie. You should learn the difference. It would make you seem less biased.

So why is it that you’re okay with O’Keefe willing to overdub and splice tapes to essentially make lies out of them, but you’re not okay with us pointing out those lies?

Don’t bother answering, because like the rest of the Republican party, you saw ACORN as a threat, and you’re quite okay with flat-out lies being used to get rid of them. That’s why you raised cain about the voter registration fraud by a few of the ACORN foot-soldiers (even though most were exposed by ACORN itself), even though NOT ONE FRAUDULENT VOTE has been found to have been caused by ACORN.

That’s real good, Dave – accuse those who cast NO fraudulent votes, but ignore those who DID take away the right to vote from tens of thousands of American citizens.

John Wilson

“I’ll call Dave a lot of things, but ‘stupid’ isn’t one of them – he’s anything but. If he was stupid, I’d have given up on him a long time ago.”

I’ll call him stupid. But he’s good at hiding it with a patina of verbal skills. His scholarship and education are paper thin and he blatantly misrepresents even his own citations, which often turn out contrary to his assertions.